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i've seen them in mail order travel catelogs, like Magellen or TravelSmith. i don't know anyone who's every used them.

on very few occasions when i did feel a little nervous for some reason i jusd moved a chair in front of the door. i realize this wouldn't stop someone, but figure it would make some noise if anyone tried to enter the room.

suze - We always have our own compartment. There was one time that strange persons (not nice guys) got on a train at one stop and got off the train at the next stop. My sister just happened to be coming back from the toilet and saw them in the conductor's office. The next morning several people were missing their purses etc.

We do not "chain" ourselves in. I can't think of the name of the gadget we use but the door could be opened if need be - it is more of a deterrent. If someone were wanting to get into a compartment they would go to one that was easier to get into.

ok, i admit, i can't picture quite what you mean.
But i was thinking from how you described it that you had in fact "chained" yourself in. It's just in an emergency situation like a fire - you're asleep, you've cable locked your door closed, the conductor can't open it, could be a pretty bad idea.

suze - you are right - that would be a dangerous situation. Our last sleeper train ride 18 months ago was from Budapest to Venice. I really wanted to have that door secure on that train. However, we were interrupted every 1/2 hour or sooner by everyone wanting to see our passports etc. This went on through Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and into Italy. No sleeping on that train.

Yes, I was interested in those wedge shaped devices, but maybe the high tech ones rather than just plastic. I saw a commercial for one on youtube - a huge guy tries to break through the door but that thing won't budge, plus it emits a loud alarm.

Nutella~ Are you staying a hotel? I guess I always figured I'm reasonably safe once I'm locked into my hotel room at night. If some 'huge guy' is breaking the door down, won't other people in the rooms around here me screaming at the to of my lungs? Can't I grab the phone & call to the front desk? etc.

I've always been fine with just the door locks, or if I was nervous a chair in front of the door and/or a "noisemaker" of some kind. I put a glass, a dish, a bottle, etc (anything breakable or that would make noise if knocked over) either on the edge of the chair or right in front of the door. If someone tries to open the door, the noise maker falls over and crashes. I'd wake up and start screaming my head off, and likely bashing the "intruder" with whatever was handy if they actually came in.

A string of bells on the door handle would likely work excellently, but I think that might get annoying in your suitcase.

If you're worried about it, grab a large wedge door stop from Walmart, Target, etc. I wouldn't bother with the youtube thing, fun though it is.

Thanks, all, for your input! It's clear that everyone has her own ideas when it comes to personal safety, which I can certainly respect. I tend to be, both at home and while traveling, on the extra cautious side due to my personal experiences, and I think such a product - wedge plus alarm - if it works, would be useful for my peace of mind, and as a deterrent to intrusion, especially by someone with a key. But again, I don't want to debate anyone's perception of safety, as they're all valid!

Nutella- I hear you and have also had a couple of bad experiences (both times by people who worked at the hotel).
Look at travel safety alarms on Amazon. You can get an under- the-door wedge alarm for $9.00. They have a lot of reasonably priced products that you can choose from.
I've used the wedge alarm and it works (ask a maintenance guy in DC who went into wrong room!). They're cheap and will give you peace of mind.

Update: I decided to purchase a gadget called "Add a Lock." It's a small metal plate and blocking piece that you insert at the door's strike plate that blocks the door from opening - hard to describe, I couldn't really envision it until I tried it out myself LOL - but I tried it at home and it worked for me, so it's now packed for my upcoming trip!